The Asia Cup 2025 will provide super-charged cricketing drama to viewers throughout the continent. To be hosted between September 9 and September 28 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the event will guarantee edge-of-the-seat action as eight countries battle for the continental title. Organized by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), the 17th edition of the Asia Cup will be contested in the T20I format.
Asia Cup 2025: Largest Edition Ever
Eight teams are playing in the competition for the first time ever, making this the biggest Asia Cup ever. There were only six nations in the 2023 edition. India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Hong Kong China, Oman and host UAE are playing this year.
The teams have been divided into two groups:
Group A: India, Pakistan, UAE, Oman
Group B: Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Hong Kong China
The two top teams of each group will qualify for the Super 4s, with the last on September 28 at Dubai.
Venues and Match Timings
The Dubai International Cricket Stadium will stage 11 matches, including the last, while the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi will host the remaining eight.
Most games will get underway at 8:00 PM IST, with the UAE vs Oman encounter on September 15 starting at 5:30 PM IST.
Selling Points Not to Miss
The tournament opener: Afghanistan vs Hong Kong China on September 9 in Abu Dhabi.
India start their campaign on September 10 vs UAE in Dubai.
The marquee encounter: India-Pakistan on September 14 in Dubai, to be replayed up to three times if both make it to the Super 4s and the final.
Asia Cup 2025 Squads
India Squad
Captain: Suryakumar Yadav | Vice-captain: Shubman Gill
Players: Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (wk), Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh
Reserves: Washington Sundar, Riyan Parag, Prasidh Krishna, Dhruv Jurel, Yashasvi Jaiswal
Pakistan Squad
Captain: Salman Ali Agha
Players: Sufyan Moqim, Shaheen Afridi, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Sahibzada Farhan, Mohammad Wasim Jr., Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Haris (wk), Khushdil Shah, Hussain Talat, Hasan Nawaz, Hasan Ali, Haris Rauf, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Abrar Ahmed
Sri Lanka Squad
Captain: Charith Asalanka
Players: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera, Nuwanidu Fernando, Kamindu Mendis, Kamil Mishara, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Chamika Karunaratne, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Binura Fernando, Nuwan Thushara, Matheesha Pathirana
Bangladesh Squad
Captain: Litton Das (wk)
Players: Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Saif Hassan, Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali Anik, Shamim Hossain, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Shaif Uddin
Afghanistan Squad
Captain: Rashid Khan
Players: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Darwish Rasooli, Sediqullah Atal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Karim Janat, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Mohammad Ishaq, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Allah Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Farid Malik, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi
Hong Kong China Squad
Captain: Yasim Murtaza
Players: Babar Hayat, Zeeshan Ali, Mohammad Niazakat Khan, Nasrulla Rana, Martin Coetzee, Anshuman Rath, Kalhan Marc Challu, Ayush Ashish Shukla, Mohammad Aizaz Khan, Ateeq ul Rehman Iqbal, Kinchit Shah, Adil Mehmood, Haroon Mohammad Arshad, Ali Hassan, Shahid Wasif, Ghazanfar Mohammad, Mohammad Waheed, Anas Khan, Ehsan Khan
Oman Squad
Captain: Jatinder Singh
Players: Hammad Mirza, Vinayak Shukla, Sufyan Yousuf, Ashish Odedera, Aamir Kaleem, Mohammed Nadeem, Sufyan Mehmood, Aryan Bisht, Karan Sonavale, Zikriya Islam, Hassnain Ali Shah, Faisal Shah, Muhammed Imran, Nadeem Khan, Shakeel Ahmad, Samay Shrivastava
UAE Squad
Squad yet to be announced
Asia Cup 2025 Schedule (All matches IST)
- Sep 9: Afghanistan vs Hong Kong China, 8:00 PM, Abu Dhabi
- Sep 10: India vs UAE, 8:00 PM, Dubai
- Sep 11: Bangladesh vs Hong Kong China, 8:00 PM, Abu Dhabi
- Sep 12: Pakistan vs Oman, 8:00 PM, Dubai
- Sep 13: Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka, 8:00 PM, Abu Dhabi
- Sep 14: India vs Pakistan, 8:00 PM, Dubai
- Sep 15: UAE vs Oman, 5:30 PM, Abu Dhabi
- Sep 15: Sri Lanka vs Hong Kong China, 8:00 PM, Dubai
- Sep 16: Bangladesh vs Afghanistan, 8:00 PM, Abu Dhabi
- Sep 17: Pakistan vs UAE, 8:00 PM, Dubai
- Sep 18: Sri Lanka against Afghanistan, 8:00 PM, Abu Dhabi
- Sep 19: India against Oman, 8:00 PM, Abu Dhabi
- Sep 20–26: Super 4s matches (Dubai & Abu Dhabi)
- Sep 28: Final, 8:00 PM, Dubai
India Eyeing Ninth Title
Defending title holders India have won the Asia Cup record eight times and will be looking for their ninth title. With Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retired from T20Is, this is a new chapter under Suryakumar Yadav’s leadership.
Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan will be India’s biggest threats, while Hong Kong China, Oman, and hosts UAE will be hoping to pull off surprises in the expanded tournament.
The backdrop is in the UAE, and cricket enthusiasts can look forward to a carnival of nail-biting encounters when the Asia Cup 2025 gets underway on September 9.
